With more than one billion [or 15% of] people in the world living with some form of disability, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), there is little doubt that they are especially affected by armed conflicts. Indeed, it is estimated that the prevalence of disability “is likely to increase to 18-20% in conflict-affected populations.” Contributing Author William Pons writes an argument for the prosecution of crimes against person with disabilities.

In the final installment of our Transatlantic Dialogue Series, Janina Dill discusses assessing proportionality. Ms. Dill is a Janina Dill is an Assistant Professor at the Department of International Relations of the London School of Economics and a Research Associate of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict at the University of Oxford. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the ICRC or the other blogs taking part in this series.

In the fifth installment of our Transatlantic Dialogue Series, Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne discusses the procedural guarantees in detention. Mr. Hill-Cawthorne is a Lecturer in Law and Programme Director of the LLMs in International Law and Human Rights at the University of Reading. He has a DPhil in International Law from the University of Oxford and his research interests lie in international humanitarian law, human rights law, international criminal law, and relationship of these different areas to general international law.

In the fifth installment of our Transatlantic Dialogue Series, Rachel VanLandingham discusses the procedural guarantees in detention. Professor VanLandingham, Lt. Col., USAF, (ret.), is an associate professor of law at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, California, and spent four years advising U.S. Central Command officials on detention policies in Iraq and Afghanistan. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the ICRC or the other blogs taking part in this series.

In the fourth installment of our Transatlantic Dialogue Series, Ian Parks discusses the obligation to investigate violations of IHL. Commander Ian Park has served in 7 ships and deployed worldwide in support of the Royal Navy and has deployed as a legal adviser to the ISAF Joint Command, Kabul, Afghanistan in 2011-12, and on numerous occasions to the Middle East. He regularly lectures at universities and military academies. Ian is a graduate of Oxford University, and is, or has been, a Hudson Fellow at Oxford University, a visiting fellow at Harvard Law School, and a First Sea Lord's Fellow.. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the ICRC or the other blogs taking part in this series.

In the third installment of our Transatlantic Dialogue Series, Chris Jenks discusses Coalition Operations and the Obligation to Investigate IHL Violations. Mr. Jenks is an assistant professor of law and directs the criminal justice clinic at the SMU Dedman School of Law in Dallas, Texas. Chris’ research interests focus on accountability norms during armed conflict.

The deadly bombing of a UN-aid convoy in a rebel-held part of Syria last Monday threw the spotlight on the dangers facing humanitarian workers there - and the suffering of civilians whose lives depend on their help. Robert Mardini, ICRC's Middle East Director spoke out against a growing catalogue of attacks on aid workers in the Syrian war in a compelling op-ed ran on BBC.com.

In the second installment of our Transatlantic Dialogue Series, Monica Hakimi discusses Fair Trial Guarantees in Armed Conflict. Ms. Hakimi is a Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School. She teaches and writes on public international law and U.S. foreign relations law, with a particular focus on the informal ways in which international law adapts to contemporary challenges. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the ICRC or the other blogs taking part in this series.

In the first installment of our Transatlantic Dialogue Series, Nehal Bhuta of the European University Institute discusses Fair Trial Guarantees in Armed Conflict. Mr. Bhuta is Professor of Public International Law. He is also co-director of the Global Governance Program’s Global Governance by Indicators project. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the ICRC or the other blogs taking part in this series.

Throughout September, in coordination with our friends over at Lawfare and EJIL:Talk!, we’re following up on this summer’s 4th annual Transatlantic Dialogue on International Law and Armed Conflict (which took place in Oxford in July) with a joint blog series exploring a range of interesting issues relating to the conduct of hostilities – such as targeting “war sustaining” activities and the principle of proportionality, as well as issues related to detention in armed conflict, such as fair trial guarantees and administrative procedures.

Humanitarian concerns in Iraq – particularly those of an estimated 3.3 million people who are internally displaced – are being overshadowed by military, security and stabilization objectives.

As Iraqi and coalition forces prepare their offensive to take back Iraq’s second largest city of Mosul from the Islamic State group, we at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are growing increasingly worried about the humanitarian crisis affecting those who have fled earlier battles, and the looming crisis that awaits the residents of Mosul and the surrounding area.

An article written by Helen Durham, director of International Law and Policy for the ICRC. In honor of Mine Awareness Day 2016, she reminds us that "The role of the ICRC must be to continue to focus on helping the victims, educating people in the risks and working with partners specialized in mine clearance."

Five years ago this week, fighting began in Syria and has yet to stop. The ICRC's head of delegation in Syria, Marianne Gasser, has witnessed the conflict from the start, and argues that only a political solution can stop the suffering.

The president of the ICRC, Peter Maurer, addressed the 31st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on March 1, 2016. He drove home the importance of preventing violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law as "the best way to counter the long-term impact of protracted conflicts."

Last week the ICRC's Director of Law and Policy, Helen Durham, participated in a podcast hosted by The Advanced Training Program on Humanitarian Action (ATHA) at Harvard University. The podcast brings together experts from diverse backgrounds to consider how the practical implementation and enforcement of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) affects men, women, girls and boys differently.

The topic of torture and questions as to whether it works, whether it should be used, and whether techniques like waterboarding constitute ill treatment have started to resurface in recent days. Given the renewed rhetoric around this subject, we’ve decided to repost an opinion piece written by ICRC President, Peter Maurer, and originally published by the Huffington Post in December 2014.

The Director of Operations of The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was recently in Washington D.C. for talks with U.S. officials on the ICRC's major humanitarian concerns in 2016. During his visit he also authored an opinion piece for CNN on five resolutions that those waging war and those with influence over global security can commit to that would truly make a difference in the year ahead.

This week we are highlighting an interview with Brigadier General Richard C. "Rich" Gross, Former US Army Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This interview is from the Scope of the Law in Armed Conflict issue, which broadly discusses where, when and to whom International Humanitarian Law (IHL) applies. In the interview, Brigadier General Gross discusses the role that IHL plays in his then position, current trends in armed conflicts, standards of detention and more.

INTERCROSS

Intercross is the blog of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Washington D.C.. It is a place for timely news, commentary on armed conflict and violence, humanitarian action, and the rules of war.

Intercross was started in 2011 as a blog and morphed into a podcast-only site in December 2018. (We are no longer actively adding blog content to the site, however you can still peruse our archive of rich content from the beginning here.)

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**Intercross, the Podcast disclaimer: Just because something or someone is featured here, doesn't mean we endorse or agree with the institutions they represent. Views expressed on the platforms we may highlight don't necessarily represent those of the ICRC.**